Ports hail diesel clean-up bill

Ports hail diesel clean-up bill    The American Association of Port Authorities applauded congressional passage of the 2010 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA), which it said will reauthorize 2005 legislation establishing a voluntary national and state-level grant and loan program to reduce diesel emissions.
   AAPA President Kurt Nagle said grants available through the program have been invaluable in reducing emissions from older diesel engines, including those in use at seaports.
   “The DERA program helps ensure that verified emissions reduction technologies are put into place earlier than would happen otherwise,” Nagle said. “Reducing emissions from diesel engines provides significant public health benefits for port communities and port workers.”
   Rich Kassel, senior attorney and director of the National Resources Development Council’s clean fuels and vehicles project in New York, said the bill will authorize $500 million over the next five years and “help accelerate the clean-up of America's millions of dirty diesels.”
   He noted DERA has provided federal funds through a competitive process that encourages state, local or private funding matches.
   “By doing so, DERA has been able to leverage roughly three dollars in state, local, or private funding for every federal dollar,” he said. “For example, in 2009-2010, roughly $350 million in DERA investments was matched by more than one billion in state and local funds. Indeed, in my own work, we've been able to leverage $7 million in DERA funds to create a $28 million pot for truck clean-up at the Port of New York and New Jersey over the past year.”